What is the SNP doing to help youth employment?

The SNP believe the biggest investment we can make in Scotland’s future is in our young people. The SNP Scottish Government has fulfilled its commitment to reduce youth unemployment by 40% by 2021, four years ahead of schedule.

We have an explicit commitment to a place in learning or training for every 16 to 19 year old who is not currently in employment, education or training.

We will maintain at least 116,000 full-time equivalent college places each year, and make it easier for young people to progress from college to university. We will maintain full-time equivalent college places and protect Educational Maintenance Allowances for nearly 60,000 school and college students. We will also retain student bursaries, including for student nurses, review student funding, and protect free university education.

Around 200,000 young people have had the opportunity to undertake a Modern Apprenticeship since 2007. And by 2020, a further 30,000 opportunities will be available every year. We’ll use new social security powers to create a new Jobs Grant to help young people aged 16 to 24 who have been unemployed for six months or more get back into work.

We will also introduce a new Jobs Grant to young people aged 16 to 24 who have been unemployed for six months or more. This will help young people with the costs of getting into or back into work. Young parents will receive £250 and those without children will receive £100, as well as free bus travel for three months to help them take up offers of work.